Aft deck hardtop on 91 Californian 4809

[Ray.Yager]

Radiant is a 1991 Carver Californian 4809, two stateroom model. I desire to install a backup camera at the trailing edge of the aft-deck hardtop. Has anyone successfully run wiring thru that hardtop? I did locate a wire channel underneath the rear bench seat in the fly bridge, but it is darn near impossible to get to it unless you’re a double jointed contortionist.

Even if I mount a wireless camera, I still have to get power to it.

[FlyWright]

Have you considered a wifi model with an internal rechargeable battery? My Arlo camera at home lasts 6 months or more between recharges.

[Streff]

I ran into the same issue when installing cameras last summer on our 45’ Californian. I installed three cameras on the trailing edge of the aft cabin hardtop. They are hard wired. I ran the wires in one of those wire loom/conduits on the port side of the hardtop, then to the radar arch to inside the port-side flybridge wall up to the front dash.

I installed 8 cameras around the boat feeding 2 screens on the dash. The cameras are designed to assist in navigation.. they have no latency, so similar to backup cameras. I also installed 4 security cameras, one of which looks down on the front bilge space in the V berth. They are wireless and accessed through the marina wifi but I am working on getting a cell account for them. That way if the marina wifi drops, I can still access the footage recorded on the internal microSD cards.

Streff

[Ray.Yager]

Streff. How did you access the conduit on the port side? From the speaker hole?

[Streff]

You are correct. My exploration started when I installed a new radar and needed to run its cable from the top of the radar arch down the port-side arch pillar through the port side half-wall up to the front helm. In my first attempt to drill a hole from the base of the port side pillar to reach the cavity of the port side wall, inadvertently my first hole came through the ceiling of the aft cabin which opened up options to install the cameras. My second hole was oriented correctly and went into the sidewall cavity.. perfect to run the radar cable and allowed running the camera cables into the same wall cavity.

Bear in mind that the trailing edge of the aft cabin top has a metal stripe screwed down. At least on my boat, drilling out a screw hole a bit opened into a space to run wires. My boat is an early 1990, so design probably changed by 1991.

Streff